It is often desirable to removably mount portable electronic devices within vehicles so the devices can be used inside or outside the vehicles. For example, many people prefer to use portable navigation devices in their vehicles rather than buying vehicles equipped with permanent dash-mounted navigation devices. Many different mounting devices have been created to securely, but removably, position portable navigation devices in vehicles.
Unfortunately, portable electronic devices cannot be easily wired to a vehicle's battery and electrical system and therefore must either be frequently removed for recharging or charged with potentially cumbersome cigarette lighter adapters or other charging cables. Attempts have been made to incorporate a solar cell into an electronic device or into a suction cup mount for the electronic device. Because suction cup mounts can only be attached to relatively hard, smooth surfaces such as glass windshields, they have only a limited surface area for solar cell attachment, can only orient their attached solar cells in limited directions, and cannot be easily moved. This reduces their solar collecting capabilities. Incorporating solar cells into electronic devices is generally undesirable due to cost, complexity, and size concerns.